The Certainty of Omega
by Omega Cyborg Cat
Summary: Omega, the Cyborg cat, has turned one, and this is just the start of his troubles. Featuring a secret agent who doesn't seem too secret, a cranky old fox, the secrets of Atlantis, and maybe a hint of romance. Review if you feel like it.
1. The Party

It had begun. Their training was nearly complete, and they were almost ready to go forth to do their duty. It would be bloody, yes, but in order to please the Leader, they would do it. They would do ANYTHING to please Him. He had Changed them. He had trained them. And now, it was almost time for them to repay His kind Leadership. They would Destroy Sonic the hedgehog. And then, their Debt would be paid, and they could move on. They would claim the world as their own.

For Omega, the Cyborg cat, it had begun like almost every other day for the past 3 months. He awoke at noon, checked his email for responses from Agent Bane, and then went to eat lunch. As he walked down the hall, something was subtly wrong. There was no smell of lunch being cooked. The kitchen, at the end of the hall, it was dark, with shadows so deep that not even Omega's cat eyes could penetrate. He tensed himself for battle, and crept into the kitchen.

It was dark… his eyes were just about adjusted to the shadows. Then, the lights all came on at once. "SURPRISE!" many voices shouted at once, as Omega was temporarily blinded. "Happy birthday!"

As his vision cleared, he saw that there was a cake on the table, and a single candle in the cake. Everyone he lived with was there, too… "What's going on?" he asked, confused.

Then, there was a familiar voice behind him. "It wasn't easy, but I managed to pinpoint the date of your birth. Today, you are one year old."

Omega looked behind him, and there, cloaked in shadows, as he had been the first time he had met him, was Agent Bane. "Bane? Why did you… how?" he asked, overwhelmed.

"Your arm's uplink. You, like every other organic on the planet, have a specific chronatic signature… in short, your body knows how old it should be."

"And did you have a reason for doing something like this?"

Agent Bane shrugged. "Frankly, kid, I like you. I don't need another reason. So, who's up for cake?"

Then, there was a chittering noise from somewhere nearby, softly, so that none of the humans present even registered it. But Omega, Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Cream looked around in puzzlement. "What was that?" Sonic asked.

Omega sniffed, and replied, "I dunno. But something doesn't smell right, and I don't mean how Tails spilled motor oil on his arm…"

Tails looked surprised at this. "How'd you know about that? That was last night, while you were fast asleep!"

Omega glanced at Tails, and smiled a bit. "I'm a cat. Trust me on this. Now hush…"

Then the sound came again, and the humans who had been looking at the anthromorphs as if they had gone insane looked sharply at the floor, which was now obviously the source of the chittering sound. Suddenly, something burst through the floor, hideous and bristly. It looked like an insectoid limb, but much, much larger than nature had intended. It ended in a projection like a scorpion's claw, but not at the scale that a scorpion's claw would be, holding some sort of knife. It was soon followed by more of the same limbs, bursting out of the floor all around, all with the same knives. Sonic and Omega looked at each other. "Run!" they said simultaneously.


	2. Unwinnable Fight

All of them ran out of the kitchen, just as the rest of the first creature whose limb had penetrated burst out of the floor. It was hideous. That was the only word that could possibly sum up the sheer impression that the creature made. It was like a huge ant, anthromorphized into a centaur-like being. It was wearing a visor-like helmet that had holes in it for its protruding antennae. It was somewhat female, with small bulges at its torso that may have been attempts at breasts. As it moved its head about, tasting the air, it spotted Sonic and Omega, cautiously watching from the door.

It shrieked in a high pitch, and more of the perversions of nature burst out of the floor as they both clapped their hands over their ears. Behind them, Agent Bane was cursing profusely. "You can't fight them!" he shouted to the pair. "Get away from them, as fast as you can!"

Tails and the rest were happy to oblige, utterly creeped out by the horrid display of unnaturality. The ant-things touched antennae, and pointed to Omega and Sonic excitedly. Neither Sonic nor Omega were about to run from these huge insects, and stood their ground. One of the things charged Sonic at a surprising speed for something that looked so heavy. Sonic was tackled by surprise, but rolled away before the thing could bring its blade into his body.

Bane, however, was still cursing. He came out of the shadows, revealing himself for the first time as the rest of the ant-things attacked, putting Omega and Sonic on the defensive in closed quarters. He was a Caucasian male of average build, who wore sunglasses with triangular lenses. His long blonde hair was pulled back behind his head in a ponytail. His face was chiseled, with a large scar, quite old, across his right cheek. He reached into the long black coat he was wearing, and pulled something out. There was a burst of smoke, and Omega knew blackness.


	3. Suspicions of Atlantis

When he awoke, he was in a cave of some sort. It was cool, and dark, and it smelled like stone and water. He sat up slowly. What had happened? They had been fighting those ant-things… and then he had blacked out. He looked around. About ten feet to his left, Bane, Sonic, and Tails were talking around a campfire. Bane looked at Omega, and beckoned him to the fire. He stood and sat between Tails and Bane. "What were those things?" Omega asked.

Bane shook his head. "Those things, as you put it, are the result of the same machine that made you what you are. Those things are, as far as we know, Project E-151 c."

Omega looked at Bane, disbelieving his ears. "What," he said flatly.

"I meant what I said. Those things are Project E-151 c. As far as we can tell, they used to be ants."

"So, your organization knew about this? And you didn't tell us?" Sonic demanded.

Bane looked at Sonic, who glared at him. "I couldn't tell you. My superiors wouldn't allow it. But now that I've resorted to this, there's only one thing to do, according to procedure…" he said, reaching into his coat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… there's no need for violence, here…" Tails said, holding up his hands.

Bane brought his hand back out of his coat. He was holding 3 badges. "There won't be any violence… procedure dictates that I induct you into the Organization," he said, handing one to each anthromorph. "Congratulations. You're now in the TPO, Anthromorphic Division."

Omega looked at the badge. It resembled a police badge, a golden shield, but with one important difference. Instead of a star, there was an image of the Earth. "What does TPO stand for?" Tails asked quietly.

"We are the Terra Protection Organization," Bane replied. "We are the defenders of the planet and all life on it. I should probably tell you some more about us…"

All of a sudden, the cave melted away. It was replaced with some sort of clear dome, with the ocean outside. "The TPO has been around for millennia, beginning in Atlantis," Bane explained, as the feeling of movement started, and the dome started to move. "We sunk Atlantis ourselves. We were getting too advanced for our own good. So, we withdrew from the world, and waited for it to catch up to us. If we hadn't, the human race might well have died out."

The dome was approaching another, much larger dome, one that was opaque. "We soon found that that was not enough. The human race was just too violent and extreme to survive without intervention. So, we decided to… nudge the rest of the world whenever they headed for disaster. Unfortunately, there are very few agents of the TPO in comparison with the other agencies, and we have no governmental authority. The best that we can do is change the course of one or two people's lives, with well-placed incentives and information. Like I did with you, Omega."

Soon, the dome was only inches away from the other. But it didn't crash. It simply stopped. A tube grew out of the other dome, and attached itself to the first. It expanded, becoming a tunnel from one to the other. Bane started walking, and the others followed him closely. They were in a dome, much like the first, except that this one was made up of a series of hallways, bustling with people. Some of them looked at them as they passed, but didn't say anything. The entire place was eerily silent.

Sonic was not very happy at all at this new development. He didn't know if this Bane character could be trusted. Bane had showed up out of the blue, claiming that it was Omega's birthday, and they had all gathered in one place. And that one place was where they were attacked… and what about the Emeralds? What had happened to them? This was suspicious…


	4. Elsewhere

While Sonic was musing, Eggman was scheming. In fact, he was looking the fruits of his latest project, E-151c, straight in the multi-faceted eye. "He did what?" he asked flatly.

The Ant-centaur creature looked away, and said, "He used poisoned air. Our sisters stood not a chance against it. But that is not the worst of it… the Emeralds were not there."

Eggman sat back in his chair, and sighed. "So, you're telling me that this man, who is apparently called Bane, and whom I have never heard of, beat your sisters, made Sonic, E-150c, and everyone else disappear, not to mention the Chaos Emeralds?"

The ant-thing nodded nervously. "That is precisely the case, Father."

Again, Eggman sighed. This was frustrating… not to mention contrived. A mystery figure, saving Sonic at the last moment, just when he was about to be overwhelmed? This was worse than the recent egg-spider incident. At least he knew what had happened with the egg-spider, in pretty fair detail. E-150c had managed to tap the power of the Chaos Emeralds, but for some reason, gave it up to Sonic, who, in fairly short order, destroyed the robot. But this Bane character… he seemed to be an unknown factor. There was no telling whose side he was on.

And then, he smiled. He didn't know what Bane was playing at, but he'd just made an instant foe of Dr. Ivo Robotnik, that much was certain. He would pay for meddling in his affairs…

In the fragmented time of the Chaos Spirits, they were vaguely aware that something was wrong. It wasn't that their physical forms were being moved from one place to another; that happened all the time, really. It was that something extra seemed to be developing a presence in their realm. They watched it with some curiosity. Something new was very odd… and this thing would have been considered odd, regardless of where it was. It was half spirit, half physical. And it was growing. The sexless, ageless, emotionless voice of the Chaos Spirit Cyan came, directed at the other 6. "What is it?"

Chaos Red gave the impression of a shrug, even though it wasn't even really there, nor did it meet the physical requirements to do so. Like shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe Master knows."

Chaos Yellow spoke, "Master is busy."

The other Chaos Spirits emitted a sense of turning to Chaos Yellow. "Busy?" Cyan asked. "What could Master possibly be busy with? Master's only Duty is to give us Focus and Discipline!"

If Chaos Yellow had been a human, it would have shifted its feet awkwardly and looked at the ground. Since it wasn't even physical, this did not occur. "I don't know," Chaos Yellow admitted. "Master just told me that Master was going to be busy for a while."

The thing that was growing shifted, and the Chaos Spirits began to watch it once more. This could prove interesting… or very, VERY dangerous…


	5. Vulpine Ancestry

The group had been walking for 5 minutes, in silence, when they finally came to their destination: a large, opaque wooden door, with "TPO" on it. "Here we are." Bane said.

"And where, exactly, is here?" Sonic asked, suspicious.

"TPO headquarters and dispatch. My Superiors want to have a word with you three, concerning your new status."

Bane opened the door for them, and Sonic, Tails, and Omega walked through. Beyond the door was a hallway; different from the hallways they had taken before, because it was totally opaque. Doors led off to either side, but Bane ignored them and led the 3 to the very end of the hallway, where there was a door, with the words, "TPO: Coordinator and Head of Anthromorphic Department".

Bane opened the door for them again, and followed them in. The room that they entered was much like a small legal office. There was a large oaken desk, and behind the desk was a high-backed leather chair, with its back turned to them. "Ah, Agent Bane…" a hoarse, ancient-sounding voice came from the chair. "I see you have brought them with you. Good… did you bring the other thing I requested, also?"

"Yes, Sir," Bane said, and took the seven Chaos Emeralds from his coat, and put them on the desk with a series of clinks.

Sonic narrowed his eyes. Why did Bane have the Emeralds? And why did this guy want them? "Sonic the hedgehog…" the voice from the chair said. "The fastest hedgehog in the world, age 18. Interesting coloration, perhaps a side effect of his speed, perhaps part of the cause. Came to Earth from Mobius some… oh, it would be about three years now, along with Dr. Eggman, Amy, Cream, Cheese, Knuckles, Tails, Rouge, and a lot of land, not to mention the Chaos and Master Emeralds."

The chair began to turn toward the group. Omega let out a short gasp. Sitting in the chair was an ancient and wizened gray-furred Anthromorphic fox, with 2 tails, just like Tails. "Miles Prower, AKA Tails, 11 years old," the fox continued, smiling slightly. "Born with a rare genetic condition that resulted in 2 tails. Came here with Sonic. Good with mechanisms and engineering, and incidentally, according to DNA testing, my great-great-great-great grandson."

Then, the fox turned to Omega. "And finally, we have Project E-150c, AKA Omega. Either aged 16 or 1, depending on how you measure it. Began life as an alley cat, and modified by Dr. Eggman by process of Anthromorphization. Changed sides after meeting Agent Bane and Sonic. Was dead, briefly, but was restored by the Chaos Emeralds. Now has new robotic arm, courtesy of the TPO's top research and development team."

The fox then sat back in his chair, and looked up at the ceiling. "And now you're all wondering who the hell I am, and what I'm doing here, not to mention why I wanted the Chaos Emeralds. I know I certainly would," he said, and looked back at the three. "My name is Lucas Prower, and I am head of the Anthromorph Division of the TPO. I was once a resident of Mobius, 200 years ago, with a wife and one male child. Like Sonic and Tails, I was a victim of Chaos Control. The difference is that the Chaos Emeralds didn't come with me. I was immediately picked up by the TPO, as an oddity. I lived here, in Atlantis, with nothing to do, for about 150 years. But then, more and more Anthromorphs began to appear, around 50 years ago. The TPO put me in charge of dealing with the problem, simply because I was the most senior of the Anthromorphs around. I don't know how I've lived so long… well, anyway, the dilemma was soon sorted out, and the Anthromorphs were living peacefully among humans. My current job is to keep it that way."

Again, Lucas looked at the ceiling. "These Emeralds are disrupting that peace. I need to get them away from you, because you can use their power naturally," he said, looking levelly at Omega. "And he appears to be able to do different things than the rest of you who have used them. He doesn't transform very well, because his body isn't designed for such a thing. But he can transfer the energy, once he has it, to someone else. And he can sense the direction of the Emeralds, in relation to his own position. Who knows what else he can do? Not me, not the Organization. We will take good care of the Emeralds. We'll seal them in separate vaults in this compound, where their specialized form of radiation will not escape."

"But-" Sonic began.

"No buts," snapped the old fox. "This is out of your hands, and so are the Emeralds. Dr. Eggman won't be able to track them here…"

"The Eggman is a very resourceful man," Omega said flatly. "He doesn't particularly even want the Emeralds, themselves. They are simply a means to his goal of the Eggman Empire. He'll find a way to do without them if he has to, though. And if Sonic's here, then there's no one in the outside world capable of defeating him. Except possibly Knuckles, and he's more concerned with guarding the Master Emerald than with the safety of the world."

Lucas sighed. "I have no intention of detaining you here. You may leave at any time. But the Emeralds stay here. Is that perfectly clear?" he demanded, glaring at Omega.

"No, it's not!" Sonic objected. "What authority do you have, to give you the right to take the Emeralds from us?"

"I have the authority and full permission of the TPO behind me, Sonic. Now, if you'll kindly leave my office, the Emeralds need to be hidden in the compound, regardless of whether you're willing to leave them behind or not!"

Suddenly, the air ripped open, and out of it stepped a large, sinuous green creature. It had huge claws on its limbs, and scales. 2 men and a gray cat shortly followed it. "What the hell…?" Omega asked as the rip in the air sealed itself.

One of the men, who had black hair, looked at Omega. "Oh, no, another cat…" he said.

The other man, a blonde one, looked at Lucas. "Excuse me, sir, but where are we?"

Lucas didn't look too surprised. He pulled out a file from his desk and scanned it carefully. "Ah, yes… Thomas Serminan, from the Tripping Continuity… we've been expecting you, but not this soon. Right. You're in TPO headquarters, in Atlantis, in the Sonic Fanfic Continuity," he replied.

The man who had been referred to as Thomas sighed. He turned to the man with the black hair, and said, "It's not the right one, Author."

"Not my fault," was his reply. "Start it back up, lets try the next one…"

Thomas nodded, and turned to Lucas. "Sorry for interrupting your storyline. We'll be on our way shortly."

He pulled some sort of small device out of his pocket, and pushed a button. Another rip in the air opened up as Lucas nodded. "Not a problem. Got to keep track of all you 'lost in the dimensions' folk."

The creature stepped into the rip first, and then the rest followed it. The air sealed itself behind them, and left Omega, Sonic, and Tails staring at the empty air. "What the hell was that?" Omega demanded.

Lucas waved one gloved hand dismissively. "Different storyline, crossing ours. Not all that important, and fairly common around here. For some reason, dimension traveling tends to lead here. We've learned to anticipate these visits, but that's really not all that important."

Bane stepped in front of the desk, facing Sonic, Omega, and Tails. "You heard the fox. We need to get going. We're going to have to go to R&D if we want to fight the E-151c, anyway."

They began to leave, but Sonic glanced back for a moment. He didn't like leaving the Emeralds behind. This whole business was fishy, and not just because they were in the middle of the ocean. But he followed Bane anyway. It wasn't as if he couldn't outrun the guy, if things got a bit hairy…


	6. Machines and Such

Bane led them down the opaque corridor, to one of the doors that they had passed earlier. This door had the legend, "TPO: Research and Development". He opened the door for them, and they went through. Tails was having much the same doubts as Sonic, but this was currently overridden by his excitement. The mechanical contrivances in this place must be incredible, what with having millennia of development going on. And he was not disappointed. An incredible array of machines were spread out in front of them, seemingly in a space bigger than the entire dome in and of itself. Men and women in lab coats were tinkering, testing, and writing things down about the machines. One particularly unusual machine beeped, and one of the technicians wrote something down. As Tails stood on his toes to see, Bane and the rest unknowingly left him behind.

Tails saw what had been written down about the machine. "Went beep" was all that was written on that particular page. He tapped the technician on the shoulder, and said, "Excuse me… what exactly is that?"

The machine in question was the approximate size of a bowling ball, with small projections ending in little knobs, and 2 small slits on one side. The technician didn't look at Tails, and prodded the machine with the pencil he was writing with. "In all honesty," he said, writing something more down. "We're not sure. One of our developers up and died before he could tell us what it was supposed to do. So far, it's gone 'beep' at fifteen-minute intervals."

The technician looked down at Tails. "I say, who are you?" he asked, as if he had just realized that someone was there.

"I'm Tails," he replied.

"Oh, yes… the little fox friend of Sonic's. Well, I hear you're good with machines… could you spare some time and help me figure this thing out?"

"Sure!"

Meanwhile, Bane, Sonic, and Omega had reached their destination, a small portico. "Now, Sonic, although I understand you are loathe to use weapons, you may need a few of the devices… hey, where'd Tails go?" Bane asked.

Omega and Sonic glanced around quickly. There was no sign of the little fox. Sonic shrugged. "Knowing Tails, he's probably messing with some of the machines here. He's probably even brought along his own personal screwdriver set."

Sonic sounded unconcerned, but was secretly very worried and suspicious. This place had separated Tails, Omega, and himself from the rest of the gang. And now Tails had gone missing… this did not bode well. Omega wasn't quite so worried. He trusted Bane, his earliest friend who hadn't turned out to be evil. He also believed Sonic's nonchalant statement.

Bane continued, "Anyway… I know you are loathe to use weapons, but you may want to take a look at some of the devices that we've developed recently."

Sonic stole a glance at Bane's face. It was earnest and clear… but that didn't mean he wasn't lying. It just made it less likely. He took a look at the array of devices on the counter. There was a gun… some bombs… some other things he couldn't even recognize… and a pair of white gloves. They looked a bit out of place. "What are those?" he asked, pointing at them.

Bane peered at the gloves. "Ah, those… those are our newest innovation. Woven from carbon-12 microtubules, those gloves are practically indestructible. Can't be pierced, and incredibly heat resistant. One problem, though, due to flexibility issues… objects within the gloves can be crushed, with sufficient force. It'll ward off a dagger or flames, but totally useless against, say, a hammer."

Sonic peered at his own gloves, worn and stained with food. "How stain-resistant are they?" he asked.

"Oh, not very," Bane replied glibly. "But cleaning is easy. All you do is toss them into a fire, and most of the stuff that isn't the gloves will burn away."

"Well, it's true that my own gloves have seen better days…" Sonic said, and pulled his own gloves off.

He pulled the gloves on the table on, and they fit, as the cliché goes, like a glove. He flexed his fingers a few times. It was like skin… "Right," Bane said, turning to Omega. "Now you choose something."

Omega turned a discerning eye to the table's offerings. He picked up a set of sharp claw protectors, a breastplate that looked like it would connect to his chest bar easily, and a wrist knife. The claw protectors went on the claws of his right hand, and the wrist knife was clipped to his left arm, extending about half an inch beyond the prosthetic claws. He looked up at Bane, and said, "I'm going to need some help with bolting this on."

"Glad to oblige," said Bane, taking up a small handheld device.

Omega held the plate in place while Bane bolted it in at regular intervals. "All of the things that you have chosen," he said as he finished. "Are made of the same materials as your arm; an alloy of stainless steel, tungsten, titanium, and vanadium. It's also outfitted to be ultra-light, as you can tell."

Indeed, the plate and claw protectors seemed to weigh next to nothing. He wondered how it was done. Well, in any case, it was time to find Tails…


	7. Finding Learjets

In the meantime, the strange device had stumped Tails. As far as he could tell, all it did was go 'beep' every fifteen minutes. Just as he was about to give up on it, a familiar voice behind him said, "There you are, Tails!"

Tails glanced behind, and saw Sonic, Omega, and Bane approaching. "Oh, hey, guys. I didn't realize you'd left. I was just trying to find out what this thing does…" he said, gesturing to the odd machine.

It went 'beep'. Sonic, Omega, and Bane looked at it with mild interest. "Oh, that thing…" Bane said. "Not a clue as to what it's supposed to be, I'm afraid."

Omega prodded it with one of his new claw protectors. It didn't respond. So, he prodded it again. Nothing. He gave it one last prod. Again, nothing happened. He turned to Tails and shrugged. "No idea here, I'm afraid…"

"I say, could you please stop poking me like that?"

Everyone turned slowly to the device. Omega raised one eyebrow incredulously, and asked, "Um… did you just say something?"

Two slits on the surface of the device slid open to reveal a pair of camera lenses. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did," it replied.

"Might I ask why you didn't say anything before now?" the technician asked.

"You might. I might not answer, but you might."

"Um. Why didn't you say anything before now?"

"No reason to say anything. Nothing you did was hurting me, just annoying. That little claw there kind of stung a bit…"

"Okay…" Omega said, turning to Tails. "Now you know what it is. It's an advanced AI with visual and physical sensory capabilities. Now we need to equip you for the journey ahead!"

"What journey?"

Omega blinked. "Good question…" he replied, and turned to Bane. "Where are we going, precisely?"

Bane blinked at this. It wasn't like the people he usually worked with to ask such questions. Adventurers didn't need to know where they were going. They just needed to know that they were going! "Um. I'll tell you in a bit. Right now, I'm not entirely sure, myself."

"Well, I'm not much good with manual weapons like swords and knives… got any battle-mechs?"

Again, Bane blinked. "I'm not sure you've fully absorbed the entirety of your situation," he said slowly. "You are in the legendary city of Atlantis, with technology centuries ahead of your own, and you want to know if we have battle-mechs?"

"Oh, well then, if that's the case-" Tails began in a disappointed tone.

"Of course we have battle-mechs!" Bane interrupted. "There's an entire other section of the city totally devoted to the things!"

"Oh?" Tails replied, brightening up instantly.

"Yeah, it's just across the hall, really."

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!"

Tails started for the exit, with everyone behind him. "That fox is way too eager to pilot a weapon of mass destruction…" Omega muttered.

Back in the hallway, Tails gave up the leading position to Bane, who led them to another door. This one said, quite simply, 'Battle-Mech R&D, Training'. Bane opened the door, which opened to another hallway, terminating in a huge chamber. On the doors were letters and numbers, which seemed to be totally random and without order. "All right then…" Bane said. "What kind of mech would you like? There are 4 different sizes, and a variety of interfaces."

"What are the sizes and interfaces?"

"Well, interfaces are manual, mental with a direct link, mental with body suit, and mental with physical component. The sizes are as follows; B-A, or Body Armor, which only is available in the mental (DL) and mental (BS); T-V, or Transforming Vehicle, which is available with all interfaces, as are the rest of the sizes above B-A; G-S, or Godzilla Size; and finally, there is the C-R size, or Combining Robot, but I doubt you'd want something like that, as it requires a team."

"I think that the T-V class is probably best. The last time I used a mech, it was the Tornado II."

"Which interface?"

"Manual."

"Right, then. The right door is… this one," Bane replied, choosing a door, apparently at random.

However, when it opened, there was an array of mechs, ranging in size and shape from a helicopter to a Yugo. Omega blinked. "Okay…" he said slowly. "I get the helicopter and the tank, and I think I can figure out the sailboat… but what the hell is an economy car doing here? I mean, what kind of robot could it possibly be?"

"That's not a robot," said a new voice, behind them. "That's my car."


	8. The Cheshire Cat

Tails, Sonic, and Omega looked back at the voice. It was an old man in a white lab coat. Well, formerly white. It was now a patchwork of grays, black, and various brown spots that looked suspiciously like dried blood. He had a shambling walk, and his face was covered in wrinkles, but his clear, blue eyes were those of a man half his apparent age. His bushy white hair was a ring around his head, hanging down the back of his neck and stopping just short of his ears. His eyebrows, too, were wild and out of control. "Ah…" said Bane. "You're here. Sonic, Tails, Omega, this is Professor Montgomery Ironsworth."

"You can call me Irongrip," the man said, grinning nastily.

"Um. Prof- I mean, Irongrip, is the Director of Mechanized Studies," Bane said, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"That means I tell the mechanics and suchlike around here what to do," Irongrip said, looking at Bane. "Now, Bane, could you please be so kind as to tell me why I'm bloody well here?"

"No one else wanted the job."

"Ha ha. Very funny. Now give me a real answer or I'll thump you in the damn ear!"

"Um," Bane said. "You're here to get Tails here started with a mech."

The old man focused on Tails, who felt a bit uncomfortable at this. "Ah…" Irongrip said, grinning. "Old Lucas's descendant, yes? I can see the family resemblance. Well, lad, what kind of mech do you think would catch your fancy?"

"Something with an auto-targeting, laser guided firing system…" Tails began, and started listing complicated specifications, while Irongrip listened and nodded occasionally.

"Right," he said finally, after a while.

He took a list from his filthy lab coat and began to look down it. "Right," he repeated, and started off for the far end of the hangar.

Tails followed him, but the rest didn't bother. They'd see it when they saw it, and there wasn't any real point to following him. Then, a female figure appeared, silhouetted by the doorway. "Agent Bane?" she said in a voice that seemed to be halfway between… a purr and a growl, really.

Bane looked at her, and nodded. "That's me."

"Good. I've been looking for you," she said, and stepped into the room.

It was definitely a surprise for Omega. She was an Anthromorphic cat, entirely white as far as Omega could tell. She was wearing a lab coat, and blue jeans under it, but he couldn't tell what kind of shirt she was wearing. Her hair was medium length and blonde. Her face was much like Omega's, but slimmer, and her whiskers were trimmed short, presumably because she didn't want to appear to have a mustache. Her eyes were emerald green, in contrast to Omega's yellowish green orbs. Her tail was flicking back and forth in annoyance, and she was looking flatly at Bane. "I'm Rachael Undershaft. Do not, under any circumstances, call me Cheshire. Lucas assigned me to go with you, but forgot to give me the mission specs," she said, seeming rather annoyed.

"Oh… I see. No wonder you seem so upset. The specs are on the special mission file. Hang on; I'll beam them to you," Bane said, and touched a watch-like device on his wrist.

Almost immediately, Rachael touched hers, as well. She stood still for a few minutes, apparently staring into space. "Oh, God…" she said finally. "That old fox has absolutely lost it. Totally unreal… why the hell would he assign me to THIS? There are 4 agents working on it already!"

"Well, 3 of them have been agents for only about… oh, 45 minutes. Regulations specify that there must be at least 2 agents with over 5 years experience on any assignment of a rating of C or higher."

"Yes, but they're HEROES! Especially you, Bane! I am, at best, a fair combatant."

"But you're the best possible choice for infiltration and stealth. You have an S rating in both. Your only C or lower rating is combat, and it's a high C, at that."

"And you have an A rating in combat, while Sonic has an S, Tails has a VERY high A, and Omega has just a slightly higher A than you. Where is Omega, anyway? I want to see this Cyborg cat…"

"Ahem…" Omega cleared his throat, and raised his hand slightly. "That would be me…"

Rachael's eyes fell on Omega. "What is this, some kind of big joke?"

"If it is, I'm not aware of the punchline," he said, quite honestly.

"Your fur pattern… it's entirely black, with a large, oval-shaped patch of white on your chest, running down to your stomach, yes?"

Omega blinked. The answer to the question was fairly obvious… why the interrogation? "Um… Yes," he replied.

"That just about does it. I've had it up to here with weird coincidences and narrative casualty!" said Rachael, gesturing with her hand about 4 inches above her head. "Why the hell do you have the negative of my fur pattern?"

Omega blinked. This was a first. That would have to mean that she had a large black spot on her chest, running down to her stomach. He had never seen a normal cat with that kind of fur pattern. It was usually black cats that had that kind of thing, like him. "Because it's the pattern I was born with, I suppose," he finally replied.

Rachael snorted. "Yeah, right. Stuff like this is never coincidence. Narrative casualty will come into play here, sometime, somehow. Just like how a bad guy who turns away from evil for the love of some girl always dies in the end."

"Is that cynicism or stoicism?" Bane asked.

The female feline rolled her eyes and looked at Bane. "It's realism, Bane. Stoicism is letting things happen because there's nothing that could happen to make things different, and cynicism is the belief that people only act out of self-interest."

"Oh."

Rachael refocused on Omega. "Look, you… I'll have you know that I don't want to join your little group. I'm only here because Lucas told me to go with you."

Omega shook his head glumly. "It's not my group," he explained. "It's Sonic's. I'm no leader."

Rachael looked at him a little longer, and then turned away. "Suit yourself. I'm going to get something from R&D."

And with that, she walked out of the room. "What's with her?" Sonic asked.

"I think I love her…" Omega replied, a dreamy look on his face.

Sonic looked at Omega's expression, and waved his hand briefly in front of his face. This got no reaction, aside from a slight sigh. "Okay…" said Sonic, turning to Bane. "Looks like he's going to be out of it for a little while."

Bane nodded. "His psyche is definitely that of a 16-year-old."

"So, where exactly are we going to be going?"

"What? Oh, probably Angel Island for a few days, and then to the mainland."

"Why Angel Island?" asked Sonic, suddenly suspicious. "Does this have something to do with the Master Emerald?"

"It has everything to do with the Master Emerald, as a matter of fact. I want Omega to talk to it, to see if it knows what's going on."

"Wait, what?" Omega interrupted, snapping out of his stupor.

"It's simple…" Bane explained. "You can talk with the Emeralds, and the Master Emerald. I want to know what it does, if anything, about our current situation."

"Oh… I suppose that makes sense…"

At that moment, Rachael reappeared, sans lab coat. Apparently, the shirt she was wearing was a blue cotton t-shirt. Omega drew himself back up, and seemed composed when she looked at him. "So, where's Tails? We can't very well leave without him…" she asked.

Just then, as according to the laws of Narrative Convenience and Convention, a Learjet drove up. Its cockpit opened, revealing Tails inside, with Irongrip beside him. "I think you've gotten the hang of it, Tails. Now, just remember the control combinations, and you'll be fine," the old man said, getting out.

Tails looked at everybody. "Hey, guys. I'm back. Who's the girl?"

Irongrip looked over at Rachael. "Well, if it isn't Cheshire! How've you been?"

"Irongrip, you KNOW how much I hate that damn nickname!" Rachael growled, her tail swishing.

"Of course I do. Why else would I use it?"

"Cheshire?" Tails asked.

Rachael glared up at Tails. "That's not my name! My name is Rachael. Rachael Undershaft."

"Oh, okay… I'm Tails. Pleased to meet you."

Rachael nodded, a bit calmer. "Let's go already, if we're going to go," she said, climbing up into the jet.


	9. Unrelated Information

Sonic and Bane quickly followed her, with Omega close behind. The cockpit then closed over them. Almost immediately, a dome of some sort of substance formed over the jet. Then, it started rising through the building, through the outer dome, through the ocean, to the surface. The dome then vanished, and Tails revved the engine, and they took off. It was going to be a long flight.

Omega turned to Rachael in the seat behind him. "So… how'd you become an agent of the TPO?"

Rachael gave him a flat look. "My story is in the TPO records. Here, I'll grant you access to it…"

She tapped the device on her wrist once, and Omega's vision became superimposed with the image of some sort of security page. There was a big logo of the TPO, and a box for a passcode. The passcode box filled with 8 's and the page changed to a menu. Omega closed his eyes in order to see the page better; it was obvious that Rachael was in control. One of the selections from the menu grew to fill the screen of his vision, 'Operative Bios'. A series of pictures flashed before his eyes, including Bane, Lucas, and himself. Then, a picture of Rachael appeared, and the scrolling stopped. The picture expanded, and some text appeared close beside. "There it is," Rachael said, back in reality. "Enjoy."

"Operative: Rachael Undershaft," Omega read. "AKA Cheshire. Hates this nickname. Sex: Female. Species: Felis sapiens. Age: 17. Height: 4'10". Weight: Not polite to ask.

"Ratings:

"Combat: C

"Stealth: S

"Infiltration: S

"Information Acquisition: B

"Subtlety: A

"Bio: Came through dimensional rift at age of 10. Wandered around city, scrounging, for 1 year, until presence came to attention of TPO. Was inducted into TPO for evasion of agents sent to capture her. Managed to do so for 1 week (see file Ar-b). No missions completed. Current status: On mission, A-Class, details classified. Unavailable."

And that was all. He went to go back, but Rachael took over again, and directed him to the access registration page. And then, Omega felt the connection she had to his access sever, and felt a pang of regret. He took a look at the page, overcoming this small pang. He filled in the required information, including a custom passcode. Once this finished, the main menu reappeared in his vision. He reselected Operative Bios, and tried to access Bane's bio.

A screen appeared, reading, "Access Denied- B-level access required. Current access level: D-level."

So, Omega moved on to his own bio. The access denial screen flashed, followed by another: "Security Override- Personal Bio."

That screen faded, and revealed his bio. "Operative: Omega. AKA Cyborg Cat, or E-150c. Sex: Male. Species: Felis sapiens. Age: depends on perception- chronologically 1, physically approx. 16. Height: 4' 8.75". Weight: 49 Kg.

"Ratings:

"Combat: A

"Stealth: S

"Infiltration: B

"Information Acquisition: B

"Subtlety: D

"Bio: Anthromorphized by the Eggman at age 6 months. Was originally a small, black, feral cat. Joined TPO after being told about E-151c by Agent Bane (see file Ar-b.) No missions completed. Current status: On mission, A-Class, details classified. Unavailable."


	10. 7822 and Counting

Omega opened his eyes, and tapped his wrist device, deactivating it. As soon as his vision cleared, he looked at Bane, in the seat in front of him. He was apparently asleep. He knew he wouldn't be able to access that file, Ar-b. Apparently, D-level access only let him onto the site, and to files under special permission. He would have to either apply for greater access freedom, or be granted it; he had gathered that much from the registration page. Hmm… that gave him an idea.

He turned his uplink back on, and was faced with the passcode page of the TPO site. He entered his passcode, and chose 'Security Clearance' from the main menu. He was faced with a large applicatory page, with many empty spaces for information. Omega sighed, and dutifully began to fill it out, requesting B-level security clearance. Moments after he finished, a message flashed. "B-level security clearance approved (Override L-P01). Access granted."

Omega momentarily wondered what Override L-P01 was, but thought nothing much of it. It was probably something that he had no real business knowing. So, he began to search through the Operative Bios again. "Operative: Bane. AKA Shadowman. Sex: Male. Species: Homo sapiens. Age: 7822. Height: 6'8". Weight: 73 Kg.

"Ratings:

"Combat: A

"Stealth: A

"Infiltration: S

"Information Acquisition: S

"Subtlety: S

"Bio: Oldest surviving TPO agent. Only SS class agent still alive. Born in Atlantis, trained under the first TPO agents. Has turned down several Director positions for fieldwork. Has completed 1217 missions to date (see file Ar-b). Has recruited 180 agents in the course of these missions. Most decorated agent in the history of the TPO. Current status: On mission, A-Class, details classified. Unavailable."

Omega blinked. Those numbers couldn't possibly be correct! If they were, Bane would be nearly 8000 years old. "Um… Bane?" he asked.

"Yes, Omega?" Bane replied.

"I was wondering… are you really-?" he began.

"Yes," Bane interrupted. "The numbers in my profile are correct. I am 7822 years old."

"Oh. How'd you manage that?"

"I stopped aging at 24."

"Um. I suppose it's pointless to ask you how?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

Just then, an island came into view. It was definitely Angel Island, because it was level with the jet. Tails pulled up, and started to descend for a landing. A long, thin clearing near the edge of the isle served this purpose rather well. They got out of the jet, and began their trek to the Shrine of the Master Emerald. "Hold it right there!" came a voice from the jungle, about 10 minutes later.

Sonic, Tails, Bane, Omega, and Rachael looked up. There was a rustle of foliage, and a familiar figure dropped down in front of them. "Oh, hey, Knuckles. Long time no see," said Sonic.

Knuckles looked at Sonic, then at everyone else. "Oh, Sonic… didn't realize it was you. And Tails… and Omega… who're the other cat and the human?"

"I'm Agent Bane. Call me Bane," Bane replied.

"Rachael. Rachael Undershaft. Call me Rachael, or else."

"Right. The human's a secret agent and the cat's a psychopath. Perfect," Knuckles muttered under his breath. "Well, I'm assuming you came here for a reason. So, what is it you wanted?"

"Omega needs to commune with the Master Emerald. It's important," Sonic added.

Knuckles shrugged. "I suppose that would be all right. But if you try to steal it, or break it, so help me, I'll…"

"I think I get the point…" Omega murmured.

Knuckles grunted. "Follow me, then," he said, and began walking down the path.

The group looked at each other, shrugged collectively, and followed. About ten minutes later, they came to the stone steps of the Shrine of the Master Emerald. "Here it is…" Knuckles said, gesturing to the pedestal on which the Emerald rested.

And, indeed, there it was, in all its glory. It was rather larger than he remembered, too. About 3 or 4 times larger, in fact. Omega started toward it, doubts in his mind. He thrust them aside, and took on a steel-like certainty and determination. The Master Emerald glowed softly in the noon sun, scattering small beams of green light in the shrine and the forest. Omega scaled the last step, and shielded his eyes. A beam of verdant green light was shining directly onto his face. He extended his right hand, and placed it on top of the Master Emerald.


	11. In the Fractured Time

A flash of blindingly white light. A feeling of… pause. Look around. All gray. All except Master Emerald. Master Emerald bright green. Green like grass. Green like Life. "Omega… I'm a bit busy at the moment…" voice comes from green.

Omega shook off the perception that had been imposed upon him. "Well, it's important… what do you know about E-151c?"

Just then, Omega became Aware that he was being watched. Not only watched, but studied. It was a cold, calculating feeling… and it wasn't familiar. It wasn't one of the Chaos Spirits, nor was it their Master. In fact, at that moment, one of the Chaos Spirits- Chaos Cyan- became Present in the fractured time. "Ah, THERE you are, Master. We've got a problem…"

"Chaos Cyan?" Omega asked.

Chaos Cyan gave the impression of turning around and spotting Omega. "Hmm? What? Oh, hello, Omega. Listen, can't talk, I have to speak with Master."

"That's why I'm here! But… how exactly are you here, when your physical presence is in Atlantis?"

"Oh, the Emerald? That doesn't matter. It's not like we actually travel anywhere. We just project our Presence and Power across the Fractured Time."

"Wait… you can project yourself?"

"Of course. We all did it the first time we met, remember? But this isn't the time for this sort of thing. There's a crisis."

"We're having a bit of a crisis in the physical plane, as well. There's a new E-series project out there, E-151c."

"I wonder if they could be related…"

"Finished! That should be all for a while…" the Master Spirit muttered, and turned its attention to Cyan. "Yes, Chaos Cyan?"

"Master, there is something in the Fractured Time that does not belong here. Something new. Something big. Something that could be very, very dangerous. And it's GROWING."

"But… I need to know about E-151c!" Omega interrupted.

The Master Spirit paused for a moment. Finally, it said, "They are the same problem."

"What?" Omega and Chaos Cyan said simultaneously.

"You heard me. They're the same problem. The new Presence in the Fractured Time is the original version of E-151c."

"Wait, wait… original version?"

"Yes, the original version. You are aware of how ant colonies operate? There are several different versions of E-151c. The ones that attacked you were soldier versions. There are several thousand of the worker versions currently building and maintaining Dr. Robotnik's fortress. But none of these are the original E-151c. The original E-151c, and the new Presence in the Fractured Time… they are one and the same… the Queen."

"Oh, no… this is very, VERY bad…" Chaos Cyan said. "Master, if a mortal can make something that can extend itself into the Fractured Time… live here, and on the Physical Plane at the same time, without being torn apart by its perceptions… this could mean trouble. Kun'nuk'kles's Sacrifice could be all for naught…"

"Kun'nuk'kles?" Omega asked. "Who is that?"

"Was. Past tense. Millennia ago, on Mobius. But that isn't important right now. You will be told, later," said the Master Spirit, exuding an air of concern.

This was the first time Omega had seen any of the Spirits in the Fractured Time show an emotion. "You… are capable of emotions? I thought that things that were never alive couldn't have that sort of thing," he ventured.

"Damn and blast! Well, the charade is over, for me, at least," the Master Spirit said, and began to change from a vaguely hominid green glow to something else altogether.

It was… an echidna; a red, male echidna, with knuckles like Knuckles's. He even had the same symbol/spot on his chest. There only seemed to be one difference between the echidna before him, and Knuckles; his eyes. This echidna's eyes were green, bright green, the same green as the Master Emerald. They had no irises, nor did they have pupils; simply 2 holes in his face, filled from edge to edge with green light. Omega blinked. This was not what he had expected, not at all. "Are you… Kun'nuk'kles?" he asked.

The echidna shook his head. "No, I am the Master Spirit. Kun'nuk'kles… is no more. But this spiritual essence I have, it used to be his. And emotions are part of the package, with living souls."

"So… what happened? What was Kun'nuk'kles's sacrifice?"

"I suppose I should tell you… we do have all the time we need, as long as you are here… and, I have his memories, so I know EXACTLY what went on preceding my creation…"

(Story to be told in separate story, The Legacy of Kun'nuk'kles. Certainty will be on hiatus until end of Kun'nuk'kles.)


	12. Interference

Some time later, in the Fractured Time, the Master Spirit finished the story. Chaos Cyan listened, out of curiosity. "So…" Omega said. "Each of the true guardians of the Master Emerald reside in the Fractured Time, in a separated piece?"

"Yes," the Master Spirit confirmed. "It is because of Tikal's spell. See, the original Guardian of the Master Emerald was about to get a bit… carried away in his protection. So, she sealed both Chaos and herself here, in the Fractured Time, in a separated piece, using a version of the Chaos Oath."

"The Servers are the Seven Chaos… Chaos is Power, enriched by the Heart. The Controller is the one that unifies the Chaos…" Omega murmured.

The Master Spirit nodded. "That's the one. But it is ineffective in the hands of most people. In order for it to be effective, you need the blood of the Echidnas running through your veins… or a predisposition to Chaos Magic."

"I see. That makes sense. But that is neither here nor there. The entire purpose of this visit was to see what could be done about E-151c."

"Well… I suppose… the best thing to do would to use a variation of the Chaos Oath, to seal E-151c's physical form into a pocket of the Fractured Time…"

"But… that would require Knuckles. And wouldn't he have to seal himself, too?"

"No. Tikal made a costly mistake in her spell: Chaos was at full power. All you'd really need to do would to be to weaken the creature enough so that it can be sealed, without such a permanent sacrifice. Of course, that'll only work with the Queen. But once that is done, the rest should fall in confusion."

"And that'll work, will it?"

"Well, it should. If it doesn't I'll be extremely surprised."

Something about the Master Spirit's tone indicated that Omega would be extremely surprised as well. Dying often does come as a surprise. "Well… in any case, that means that I'll be headed back to the physical plane now…"

"Yes. Now, both of you go. I have nothing to do at the moment, and I would like to be alone."

And with that, Omega faded to gray, and Chaos Cyan left. The Master Spirit sighed. The Fractured Time was re-aligning with the physical plane already… not a good sign. That meant that E-151c was gaining influence. Ah, well. There was much to prepare, even though he had told both Cyan and Omega differently… that was strange. Even though he had never had any problems with deceit… there it was again! Since when had he started identifying himself as male? Too much interference from the physical plane, he supposed. The Master Spirit sighed again, and faded into the amorphous, hominid form that served so well…


	13. A Question of Life

Meanwhile, at Eggman's base, there was a commotion. "EGGMAN!" a hissing voice rang throughout the tunnels.

Eggman sighed. What did the queen want THIS time? Regardless, he hurried off down the tunnels leading to the center of his base. He came to the final tunnel, and approached the huge chamber cautiously. It was not wise, even for him, to cross E-151c. He was beginning to wonder if he had not made a mistake with this particular project. Over the time he had spent training the soldiers and workers, he had somehow, gradually, become slightly subservient to E-151c's whims. He would have to rectify that, once the Plan was completed… "Yes, Lady Queen?"

"Eggman…" the hissing voice came from a huge form, shrouded in shadows. "I have experienced something most disturbing… it could be important…"

"Hmm?" despite himself, Eggman was interested. "Yes? What is it that you found disturbing?"

"I awoke… a second soul of mine awoke… and I saw a place, where time did not pass. In that place were seven Powers, and an eighth Power, that was different from the others. And then, another came, that was not a Power. It seemed to be like myself, a Stranger in that… Fractured Time. It spoke with one of the Powers, and with the eighth Power, for a very long time. And in all that time, I could not move, I could not speak, I could not even breathe. And yet I did not die… a blessing that was. Then, they began to watch something, something similar to the eighth Power, yet slightly different still. And then, the Stranger left, and my first soul awoke as the second slept. That is when I called for you…"

Of course, this got Eggman's attention. Of course the seven Powers would have to be the Chaos Emeralds, and the eighth Power would be the Master Emerald… but they were ALIVE? It didn't seem entirely possible… but it made sense. How else could they keep their power out of his hands, time and again? But that raised even more questions. Such as the false Emerald that Tails had created… had he created life? Or had he simply created a conduit to the Power of the Chaos Emerald it was emulating? A puzzle… one that, when he solved it, he could use to his advantage…


	14. Sword and Sorcery

Omega returned to the present, and shook his head. This Fractured Time was getting weirder and weirder… he had been… somewhere underground, as if he had not come back to himself, and something had happened… but the memory was fading. It wasn't supposed to be his memory.

"Well?" asked Bane. "What's the report?"

Omega focused. He had spent way too much experience in the Fractured Time, and it was hard to re-adjust. "Um… do you want the short version, or the long version?"

"Short, then if it doesn't explain enough, long."

"Right. We need Knuckles to come with us in order to beat E-151c, because the Queen version needs to be sealed in the Fractured Time."

"Hold up… what?" Rachael interrupted.

Omega scratched his head. "Well, scrap that theory. I'll just put the stuff I learned in the TPO archives… along with the Legacy of Kun'nuk'kles. You want to know what I do, read that," he said firmly, and turned on his uplink.

He re-logged on, and began uploading the knowledge from his mind into the archives. This took approximately two tenths of a second. "Intriguing…" murmured Bane. "So the Chaos Oath only works for the descendants of the Echidnas?"

Omega deactivated the uplink, and looked at Bane. "I can't lie to the Archive. It's a mix of science and Magic."

Bane snorted. "There's no such thing as magic, not in this world, anyway. Everything magical here came from Mobius."

"Oh, yes?" Omega sneered. "And how do you think that you've stayed so young over these years?"

"That's different. My metabolism-"

"Has absolutely nothing to do with it. I'll bet that all those millennia ago, someone saw in you a great potential, am I right?"

"Yes, it was the original founders of the TPO, but-"

"And those founders were referred to as the Seven Sages, right?"

"Well, yes. That's in the archives, just like everything else-"

"Hmmph. You are the victim of your own logic, you know that?" said Omega, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "You yourself are a SPELLSWORD. That's what the SS class is. And you won't acknowledge the thing that keeps you alive? Amazing. You may not believe in magic, Agent Bane… but obviously, magic still believes in YOU."

And with that, Omega turned away, to jump into the Learjet. And then, the world went gray. Again. Omega looked around. This was not the Fractured Time, he was sure. This was a true time-stop. And Bane was there, too. "You have not the right…" said Bane, in barely a whisper, but easily heard in this soundless place. "You have not the right to judge me. You don't know. You can't know. I hid it from the archives, so only I know. You think you know everything, little cat. But you know nothing. I don't believe in magic. It couldn't save her. It refused to save her. Until you learn, little cat, do not judge. But you won't learn from me."

Bane was glaring straight at Omega, his eyes blazing. "Why did you have to remind me? Why did you have to figure it out? No one has even thought about that SS class, not until you. Why did you have to be so clever, little cat?" he said, his voice rising ever so slightly. "It couldn't save her. It wouldn't save her. Instead, it saved me. Why did it save me, little cat? If you're so clever, tell me why it didn't save her, and saved me, instead?"

"Bane… you're being irrational," said Omega, carefully.

Bane laughed, a horribly harsh laugh. "I'm being perfectly rational, little cat. You just don't understand me. Why don't you understand me? Tell me, if you're so clever, little cat?"

"Stop calling me little, Bane. I'm warning you. Let me out of this. You're not being yourself."

"On the contrary, little cat!" Bane screamed. "I'm being myself for the first time in millennia! The pain, the loss… they were almost gone! And then, you came, and awakened them with your talk of magic!"

Enough was enough. Bane was obviously not himself. Out of the corner of his eye, Omega saw a chain in the bottom of the jet's cockpit. Probably a leftover from the last user… but the important thing was that it was rusted, red rust. He reached down slowly, and took it up. "This is your last chance, Bane. Let me out, and calm down." He said.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I won't let you out. The world will die before you come out of here. You'll be here for eternity, even longer, for awakening that which slept!" he shouted, his eyes bulging.

With that, Omega's eyes narrowed. Then, he threw the chain, straight at Bane. His eyes went even wider, and lifted his hand. A blast of magical energy came out, straight at the chain. It had absolutely no effect. It struck Bane in the head, cracking one of the lenses of his sunglasses. Color returned as Bane fell, unconscious. "You can't magic iron, Bane. One of the basics. Anyone who knows anything about magic knows that," Omega muttered.

Rachael, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles looked shocked. "What the hell happened to him?" Rachael demanded.

"He… was a bit overtaxed. Apparently, I struck a chord with him on the subject of magic. It's a good thing that you can't magic iron, or I would be stuck in a timeless void for all of eternity…"

"But… why? How could something like that get to someone like Bane?"

"It's… simple, really…" Bane said, slowly sitting up. "Oh, don't worry… I've regained my senses. But you're not going to find out about it. Not from me."

"You have a bit of explaining to do, in any case. What the hell just happened?"

"None of your business…" Bane snapped, pulling a new pair of sunglasses, identical to the first, from his coat.

"Let's just leave him be…" Omega murmured to Rachael.

Then, he turned to Knuckles. "Knuckles…" he said. "We're going to need your help."

Knuckles sighed. "I had thought as much," he muttered. "I can't do it, though. The Master Emerald-"

Just then, the Master Emerald pulsed with an urgent light. "What?" Knuckles said, confused. "You WANT me to go?"

The Master Emerald pulsed again, a bit less urgently. "Oh, all right… do you want to come with?"

There was no response. "Stay out of trouble, then."

Knuckles turned to Omega. "Looks like I'm coming with you."

"Excellent. Although it may be a bit crowded in the jet…"

"You'll have to stay here for a while, though. I have to get ready. That'll take until morning, at least."

"What? What the hell are we supposed to do until then?" demanded Rachael.

"I don't know… gather wood for all I care," Knuckles responded.

And with that, he turned and faced the Master Emerald. He sat, bowed his head, and closed his eyes. Bane pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Look…" he said. "A lot has happened in not a lot of time… lets go our separate ways for now, and come back for him in the morning…"


	15. A Game of Cat and Cat

Rachael nodded stiffly, and walked off. Omega followed a few moments later, when he was fairly sure she couldn't see him. He was wrong, of course. Rachael was fully aware of his presence; it's just that she really didn't mind. In fact, it was kind of… cute, him following her. She jumped up into a tree, and started moving along the canopy. The rustle of brush behind her indicated that Omega was still following. So… a game, then? So be it. She jumped from branch to branch, landing lightly each time. Omega was a tad heavier, and was having some trouble keeping up.

But Rachael never looked back, never let on that she knew he was there. It was a game of… cat and cat, really. And then, abruptly, she ran out of trees. Her muscles had already reacted before she could stop, and she jumped out into space… right above a small pool of water. Omega dropped to the ground in front of the pool with a slight smile on his face. Rachael was soaked, from head to tail. She saw Omega smiling at her, and her eyes flashed as her tail lashed the surface of the water. She stormed out of the pool, arms across her chest, and into the bushes.

Omega started to follow her, but was stopped by Rachael's statement of, "If you come peek at me, I will personally scratch out your eyeballs."

This was followed shortly by her shirt being hung over a branch by her arm from behind a bush. Her jeans followed, and then her bra. Omega, a Teenager, lost no time in distant observation of a lady's undergarments. Her bra was a simple affair, just white, without much padding. It was apparently supposed to hook into place, but Omega was by no means an expert in this matter.

And then, her panties were placed on the branch next to her bra. Much like the bra, they were simple, with a low cut in back to allow for her tail. But a subtle sheen underneath the water suggested a more expensive material. Omega cleared his throat, and feeling stupid for his unnatural gallantry, said, "Um… are you trying to tease me? Because if you're not, you may want to move your panties and bra to places where I can't see them from where I'm standing…"

There was a silence from behind the bush, after which a hand snatched the undergarments from the branch with some dark murmurs. "Um… I'm sorry you fell in the pool, Rachael…" Omega said, because it seemed like something to say.

The bushes burst apart in front of him to reveal an extremely testy Rachael clad in bra and panties. "Look, you," she said, oblivious to Omega's eyes locked on her chest due to rage. "I don't need your pity, so you can just…"

She stopped, and seemed to realize that she was nearly naked. Then, she noticed that Omega was staring. Indignant, she slapped him across the face. This snapped him out of whatever hormone-induced fantasy he was engaged in. "Ow!" he said, holding his right hand to his cheek. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes, it was! You were staring at my breasts!"

"Well, YOU walked out wearing next to nothing! What did you expect me to do, kneel down and worship the Tri-fold Spirit?"

Rachael blinked. "What the hell is the Tri-fold Spirit?"

"Um. You didn't read what I put in the Archives, did you?"

"Well, no. It was thirty-five pages of text!"

"The Tri-fold Spirit was the being that Kun'nuk'kles and most of the Echidnas worshipped. I think that Kun'nuk'kles himself was of a slightly different sect of the faith than the rest of his Race…" Omega explained.

"Oh. Is that it? I was thinking that it sounded a bit… familiar, somehow."

"Um. I think my arm might have a microwave emitter…"

Rachael blinked again. "What does that have to do with anything?" she demanded.

"Well, for one thing, it would dry your clothes off faster."

"Oh… yeah. You should probably use that…"

Underneath her fur, although it wasn't visible, Rachael was blushing, and she didn't much like it. It was confusing. Omega walked over to the branch where her clothes were hanging, and concentrated on his arm. His hand started reconfiguring itself into a magnetron and he pointed it at the clothes on the branch. This is when he discovered why you don't use microwaves to dry clothes. While they DO become dry as the water vaporizes, it also heats up the clothes… a lot.

They didn't burn, however, and so, he didn't realize how hot they were when he took the shirt and handed it to Rachael with his left arm. "Yeouch!" she shouted as she tossed the shirt away.

As luck would have it she threw it directly on Omega's head. "Ow, ow, ow…" he murmured as the cloth slowly cooled on his head.

When it was cool enough, Rachael snatched it away from him and pulled it over her head so she could wear it. It still fit, thankfully. She snatched her jeans from the branch and went behind the bush to put them on. She came back out fully dressed, and slightly less annoyed. "All right… now that THAT fiasco is over with… why were you following me?"

"I… I'm not entirely sure. I just didn't want you to leave me behind."

"Leave you behind? This is an island floating in the sky! How could I leave you behind?"

"I never said it was a RATIONAL thought…" Omega grumbled.

For some reason, Rachael found this incredibly funny. She laughed and laughed, until she was out of breath. Omega just stood there, puzzled as to what the joke was. "Tell me…" Rachael said, after she recovered from her bout of laughter. "What exactly happened to you, so that you became as you are now? I know about the Anthromorphization machine that Eggman has now, but why exactly did he use it on you?"

"Um… my memories are a bit unclear before Eggman Anthromorphized me… but, as far as I know, which is what Sonic told me, I was just in the right place at the right time."

"How so?"

"I bit Eggman. That much I remember. I also remember… that he didn't taste very good."

Rachael burst out laughing again. "That's really all I know," Omega explained, a bit disturbed by her laughter.

This triggered even more laughter, so Omega fell silent, rather uncomfortable. "I… I'm sorry for laughing at you… but it's just the way that you SAID…" Rachael apologized, stifling a small giggle.

This was really quite disturbing… although he had not know Rachael long, she seemed to come across as someone who didn't laugh too much, because that might make her lose focus of her anger. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine… can't I have a bit of fun without somebody asking me that?"

"Well, frankly, you come across as someone who NEVER has fun because you're too busy being angry at everything."

Rachael frowned, and for a moment, had a pained look in her eyes. "Do I REALLY seem that way, Omega?"

"Yes. Yes you do."

She sighed. "Well, I can trust you to be honest with me… you're not as civilized as the rest of them, and don't find lying as easy…"

Omega blinked. "I'm sorry, was that a complement or an insult?" he asked.

"A little of both, I should think," she said with a smile, and then sat down on a handy rock and sighed. "I'm not mean. I like to laugh, and I like to have fun… but there isn't much to laugh about. It's just that… life acts like a story, so often. Things have climaxes and endings, even though they SHOULDN'T have to end. It's called Narrative Casualty. Things happen as if someone were writing them down, but had no idea what the ending was going to be. Explanations can be found for almost every situation, even when the situation is something utterly tragic… I'm sorry, I must be boring you…"

"No… not really," Omega assured her. "I'm not much of one for philosophy, though. Things happen. Be prepared to change what happens next by reacting to what has already happened, in the here and now, that's my policy."

"You're a very simple cat, Omega," Rachael responded. "You don't seem to have all the doubts and worries of the world…"

"Oh, I have them. It's just that I ignore them. It's not possible to change the past, and the only way to change the future is by acting in the NOW. Why worry about tomorrow? It's going to happen, regardless of whether you worry or not. But some things, I have to worry about. Like the fact that E-151c is not going to be happy to see me. At all."

Rachael smiled. "I can imagine."

"Yeah, I suppose you would. But now, I'm not sure about what I have to do. I mean, how am I supposed to weaken something thirty times my size? The only weapon I know how to use that could get to it would be a chain weapon, but I don't have one anymore."

"Hey, you don't know that it's THAT much bigger than you…"

"Yes, I do. Those soldier versions that were sent after us were larger than I am. The Queen will be scaled up to the same ratio, I'm thinking…"

"That's ridiculous! Everyone knows that if you scaled an ant up to that size, they would be crushed under their own weight…"

"Yes. But you didn't see the soldiers that came after us. They were mostly covered in metal plating instead of a chitin exoskeleton. I'm thinking that that would compensate for the lack of internal support… and besides, Eggman may have actually made some internal supports for them. We have yet to kill a single one to find out."

"Well, maybe you're right… this could definitely be a tough battle… first, we'll have to fight our way to the Queen, and then take her down."

"Nicely put… you do realize, of course, that there will probably be hundreds of them to fight?"

"Yeah… but there's an ancient saying from where I'm from… 'When fighting hundreds, kill hundreds, one at a time.'"

"How very… militaristic…"

"Well, I come from a place where everyone is a cat anthromorph of about the same size… there were a lot of fights."

"Hmm…"

"I'm curious…" Rachael said, changing the subject. "What was it like, being a feral cat?"

"Well… I don't remember much… but I think that it was hunt, eat, fight, sleep, wake, hunt, fight, eat, sleep… or something like that," Omega replied.

"How very… animal…"

"Well, I AM an animal… or, at least, I was."

"Oh, you poor-" Rachael began.

"Please don't," Omega interrupted. "I get more than enough of that from Amy."

"Amy… that's Sonic's girlfriend?"

"Yeah. When we first met, I sliced her belly open… I still feel guilty about that…"

"Weren't you under the influence of the Eggman?"

"Yeah, but not under his control. I had free will, and I used that free will to hurt somebody. That's not right."

"Well, you're DESIGNED for combat… sort of."

"That's no excuse for harming the innocent, Rachael. It never has been, and it never will be."

"Hmm," Rachael replied, thinking.

Omega saw a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye, so he glanced in that direction. It was just the pool… probably just the wind rippling the surface. But… there was something else here, watching them… no, there couldn't be. He or Rachael would have spotted it, heard it, or at least smelled it by this time. None of his senses were telling him that he was being watched, and yet, he was SURE that he was… he shook it off. No time for insanity.

"What's wrong?" Rachael asked, suddenly wary.

Omega blinked and shook his head. "It's nothing… I'm sure it's nothing."

Rachael looked doubtful, but seemed to calm down. "All right… if you say so…"

"Lets go back to the jet… I'll bet the rest of them are wondering what happened to us…"


End file.
